Black and Blue All Over
by Abarero
Summary: They were killers, they were partners, they were a deadly team working for the Akatsuki. But perhaps there was more to them than that. A Kisame x Itachi Collection.
1. 15: Perfect Blue

Author's Notes:These are the stories about Kisame/Itachi I'm writing for the livejournal community 30(underscore)kisses. I know there doesn't seem to be much fic-love for this pairing, so I figured I'd do something about that :)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Title**: What is Perfection? 

**Theme**: #15/Perfect Blue

**Summary for this chapter**: Kisame wonders, what is it that Itachi considers to be perfect?

* * *

He was antsy. 

Ever since they arrived in that village Itachi had been on edge. To most, he was still the same intimidating person he had always been. But Kisame could tell something was different.

After traveling for a few days, it was nice to stay in a clean room. So many of the abandoned homes, apartments and seedy hotels the Akatsuki supplied their members with left a lot to be desired.

This small apartment, on the other hand, had been well kept and it appeared that someone had bribed the landlord and a cleaning lady into silence about the room's occupants.

But despite all that, Itachi was still not pleased; his crimson eyes constantly darting towards the window almost as if he expected to see someone coming through the dense forests to attack him.

Frowning thoughtfully, Kisame began to figure out the reason behind his partner's distress.

On the other side of those trees and across the border into the neighboring country was the village of Konoha. The village whose symbol appeared marred on Itachi's forehead protector.

Kisame knew the stories.

That village thought of Uchiha Itachi as their greatest prodigy. He graduated at seven, learned to use the sharingan at eight, passed the chunnin exam at nine and became an ANBU at the age of thirteen.

Itachi was their idea of perfection. He was the flawless embodiment of all the talents a ninja could ask for.

He was perfect…until he betrayed them.

Sure, he was still regarded as a genius; but now it was with fear instead of admiration.

Perfection stained with the blood of his clan. His family and their heritage wiped out by his hands.

"Itachi-san…?"

Kisame wasn't sure what spurred the question; whether it was his thoughts, the irritating silence, or just a desire to distract Itachi from his worries.

But now, he almost didn't want to ask. It seemed silly, really.

Itachi cast one more glance towards the window then raised his eyes to meet his partner's.

At that acknowledgement, Kisame knew he had to ask.

"I was just wondering- what do you consider perfection?"

He expected a shrug, then a vague answer or perhaps the name of a perfected jutsu or food dish.

Instead, Itachi stood abruptly; hesitating a brief moment before crossing the room.

Kisame felt the lean figure press up against him and couldn't help but grin.

_Trying to distract me so you don't have to answer, eh?_

The black and red cloak pooled at his feet, pale fingers sliding the garment from the broad shoulders. Fabric rustled, all of it becoming a forgotten heap on the floor.

Giving in to the distraction, Kisame pushed Itachi back unto the futon.

"Rather creative way to avoid answering me, Itachi-san…" He gruffly whispered as he pressed a kiss to the slender neck of the shorter man.

Itachi's usual frown deepened in thought and his eyebrows furrowed.

_What do I consider perfection?_

He ran the question through his mind as his red eyes danced over the light cerulean body above him.

"Blue…" Itachi murmured, more to himself than to Kisame; the color pinpointing the instinctive answer.

"What?"

Kisame paused in trailing rough kisses down Itachi's bare chest at hearing the rather silent, stoic man speak.

"Your answer," He explained.

_My answer is…blue?_

Kisame tried to find the relevance, as he observed Itachi's dark eyes for any clues.

_To that which is perfect- few things can be viewed as more ideal._

_The only thing to which perfection concedes is that which brings them to their knees; the one thing that can subdue them- their weakness in its truest form._

Itachi viewed emotions- love, desire, passion- as a weakness.

Itachi was someone who couldn't be stopped or subdued.

Itachi never got on his knees for anyone- except…

Kisame's eyes widened.

_Perfect…blue._

"You mean…"

Itachi nodded, his face remaining inexpressive.

Uchiha Itachi was perfection, but the quintessential truth lay beside him.

The one thing even perfection bowed to- both physically and emotionally…

…was a blue-skinned man named Hoshigaki Kisame.

THE END


	2. 1: Look Over Here

**Author's Notes:** Here's my second one for these guys…

**

* * *

T****itle**: Red and Black  
**Pairing**: Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi  
**Fandom**: Naruto  
**Theme**: #1/Look Over Here  
**Disclaimer**: "Naruto" is copyright Masashi Kishimoto. 

**Notes:** Takes place directly post episode 85

* * *

"Neh, Itachi-san?" 

He turned to face his partner, black hair brushing against blue skin. The slight motion was enough though for Kisame to acknowledge that Itachi was listening.

"How long will it be until your sharingan comes back?"

Itachi frowned; it wasn't often that he had to exert so much energy in one day. Honestly, he wasn't sure.

"I'll need to continue to rest," He stated simply.

Kisame nodded, gently untying the forehead protector from Itachi's head and sitting it aside.

"Stupid brat, causing so much trouble; now we have no choice but to lay around and do nothing the rest of the day."

Their cloaks had already been discarded by the door; their current lodgings far enough from Konoha that no one would find them, yet not so far that they wore themselves out further getting there. Laying besides each other on the futon, they just relished the peace and quiet along with each other's company.

"Do you remember the day we met?" Kisame questioned, not really expecting an answer.

"It was humid then," Itachi replied after a moment.

"Yah, just like it is today…"

* * *

The warm weather weighted down on the black-cloaked men, all having gathered together to induct a new member into their ranks and to assign him his partner. 

Now, with the formalities over, only a few members remained- most having gone back to their current missions or posts.

"Hmm. So that's my assigned partner?" Kisame's eyes danced over the shorter, cloaked man, "He's rather…thin."

A cold laugh emanated from beside him, "It's a very healthy body. Very…powerful."

Slitted-eyes perused the younger man, plots and plans running through his mind.

"Orochimaru-san," Kisame intervened, beginning to walk towards the new member, "He's my partner, so don't make him into part of your body collection."

The pale-skinned man shrugged, "You couldn't defend him if I wanted to."

But Kisame called his bluff, "I'm sure he can defend himself, Orochimaru-san."

Nearing the place where the black-haired man sat, Kisame kept his distance. Close enough to observe, far enough away not to be noticed immediately.

He knew the man's stats- but Kisame was also a firm believer in only believing things that he'd seen with his own two eyes. And that just happened to be the particular body part that he really wanted to see on the other man.

_Come on, look over here…_

They were supposed to be blood red, crimson red, hellfire red. Some rumors even said that the Uchiha had bathed his eyes in the blood of his clan to give them such a blood-stained appearance. All the stats, all the stories, all the rumors- made the eyes sound like a horror to behold, a truly terrifying experience.

Sensing the presence behind him, Itachi glanced up; his red eyes locking with the simple black pupils of Kisame.

There were many words that came to the blue-skinned man's mind that moment, but none of them were harsh or threatening in any way.

Those eyes were powerful, strong… beautiful.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, formerly of the Mist Seven. Am I correct?"

He grinned at the acknowledgement, "It looks like you're familiar with me already- Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

"Kisame. Look over here." 

Itachi's voice was smooth, yet stoic and it jarred Kisame from his memories.

"Ah Itachi-san, what is it?"

The blue-skinned man watched in silence as the Itachi reached up and removed the forehead protector from where it rested against his temple, tossing it onto the table with his own.

"You should appreciate it while you can."

Some people would assume he meant the tranquil moment they were indulging it. Others might guess that if the Uchiha did have any semblance of a heart- that he meant for his partner to enjoy their time alone together, these being the only times they were allowed to have loving emotions of any sort.

But Kisame knew what he truly meant, his black eyes meeting with the rare sight of another set of black eyes. Leaning forward to kiss Itachi's forehead, he pushed the stray strands of hair from the other man's face.

"It's the first time I've got to see them like this."

"It's as they say," Itachi responded.

"There's a first time for everything?"

Itachi nodded, nonchalantly resting his head against Kisame's chest.

"Rest, Itachi-san," He said closing his own eyes to rest, "Seeing them once is enough for me."

* * *


	3. 20: The Road Home

**Title**: Creating Memories  
**Theme**: #20/The Road Home  
**Pairing**: Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi  
**Word Count:** 1,116  
**Summary:** When a mission takes them to Mist Village, Kisame reflects on old memories and considers making some new ones.

* * *

The road into village, as usual, was covered by mist; that was after all what the village had gotten its name from. But in these late hours of the evening, the mist was more like a blanket over the ground- tucking it in for the night. 

Crossing the bridge at this unusual hour, were two cloaked figures conversing casually. Well to be precise, the taller was speaking and the other seemed to be listening.

"When I was a kid, I used to play on this bridge all the time," The blue-skinned man reminisced, thinking back to his youthful days in his home village.

Pointing to a dark splotch on the landscape ahead of him, Kisame continued.

"And that forest is where I killed my first nin while on a mission."

The bridge creaked in the light winds as they set foot on the ground on the other side, Kisame's face lighting up with a wide grin.

"This is the road that led to my home, Itachi-san. It hasn't changed at all."

Crimson eyes glanced out at the simple village and the adjoining forests and waterways, his gaze then turning to his partner.

"It seems rather pointless to appreciate a home you've left," He muttered, thinking back to his own decimated village- littered with the bodies of the Uchiha clan.

"I'm appreciating the memories I have here, not the location itself, Itachi-san," Kisame corrected, thinking over all the places he had fond recollections of.

"So one must first have a pleasant memory of a place to enjoy it?"

Thinking that over, an idea pricked at Kisame's mind.

"Perhaps we shall find out."

* * *

Using Kisame's familiarity with the village to their advantage, they were able to secure an obscure lodging location for the night. But much to Itachi's dismay, said place only had a single-bed room available due to water-damage in some of the other rooms. 

Assuring his partner that they'd make do somehow, Kisame led Itachi down the hall to their room.

"I've never stayed at this hotel before, but I've heard it's fairly low-key," He said under his breath as he unlocked the door.

Itachi nodded in acknowledgement; his frown deepening at the state of the accommodations.

"I can see why."

Kisame gave an awkward grin as he surveyed the room, "Not the best on the upkeep, are they?"

Itachi began to sit his cloak on a dusty chair, but thought better of it.

"I'm going to sleep," He stated simply, moving towards the bed.

"Then I'll sleep with you," Kisame replied.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly and he fixed his partner with a questioning gaze. Kisame, on the other hand, looked equally shocked at his own words.

"_Well, sure I'd been thinking it but…_" He laughed inwardly, "_I suppose being back home just put me so at ease it slipped out._"

Sensing a distinctive glare on him, the blue-skinned man sighed and tried to explain himself.

"Itachi-san, you said one must first have a pleasant memory of a place to enjoy it, right?"

The red-eyes softened in intensity, Itachi's deadpan expression shifted from slightly shocked and confused (if you squinted really hard) to slightly expectant and hopeful (if you tilted your head just right.)

Kisame paused, trying to form the right words- wanting it to be something that would say all he needed to in a way Itachi would understand.

_Well, Itachi-san does rather prefer things to be straightforward and without lots of excess information…_

Sitting down beside the black-haired man on the bed, Kisame gave him one last nervous smile before taking the plunge. His battle-scarred hand cautiously reached up to rest against Itachi's cheek and his eyes locked on the crimson eyes before him- searching them for anything that might indicate an emotion.

But at the moment, Kisame was getting mixed messages from his partner. On the outside, Itachi seemed to be saying "_What the hell do you think you're doing?_" but when you looked past that façade, you could see that there was an eighteen year old young man underneath waiting for his companion's lips to capture his own.

Hoping that his instincts about Itachi's inner thoughts were right, Kisame did just that- pressing his lips against Itachi's in a chaste kiss.

Pulling back, and expecting to find a kunai or something else stabbing him for what he'd done- Kisame was surprised to see that Itachi was just…staring at him.

"What was that supposed to be?" Itachi asked; voice cold and mechanical.

"Um…a question?" Kisame said tentatively, then on still not seeing any signs of irritation or anger, he clarified, "It was a question. I know you prefer actions over words, Itachi-san."

The black-haired man looked perplexed for a moment, raising a hand to rest against his lips in thought. He stayed like that for several minutes, until finally- it seemed that he'd given up on trying to find an answer.

"I'm going to sleep."

Kisame sighed, glad that he wasn't dead for trying something as brash as kissing Uchiha Itachi, but somewhat disappointed in the reaction.

"We have a mission to attend to tomorrow," Itachi continued, lying down on one side of the bed.

"I know…" Kisame murmured, his disappointment showing more than he would have liked it to.

He started to get up, figuring that he'd just find a place to lean up against the dirty hotel walls and hopefully sleep that way. But as he moved to stand, Itachi's unusual talkative streak spoke up once more.

"The bed. It… isn't that small."

Kisame looked between his partner and the small bed he laid on. Not wanting to impose himself more than he already had- but not wanting to sleep on the floor unless he absolutely had to; Kisame sat on the bed, leaning up against the headboard as he stretched his legs out.

"I'll keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. You sleep, Itachi-san."

That reasoning seemed to be enough for Itachi, and he rolled to his side and closed his eyes.

Looking to where the samehada rested beside him, Kisame took a deep breath- enjoying the distinct smell of the Mist village air.

He might have been sitting to one edge of a rather small bed, its poor springs and mattress strained with the weight of two occupants, while Itachi slept beside him- but it all seemed rather….pleasant.

_"So one must first have a pleasant memory of a place to enjoy it?"_

Itachi's comment seemed to echo in his mind, and Kisame smiled to himself. The road back home for a missing-nin was never easy, but this time- Kisame reasoned- the memories he would have of this night in his home town would stay with him forever.

* * *

Continued in the next chapter


	4. 22: Cradle

**Title**: Questions and Answers  
**Theme**: #22/ Cradle  
**Pairing**: Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi  
**Word Count:** 1,474  
**Summary:** Itachi isn't usually the type to find himself injured in battle. But when his mind is distracted, the little injures begin to add up.  
**Notes:** Continuation of the Mist-Village "arc" presented in "Creating Memories."

* * *

This was not the way Itachi liked things to be. It was unsettling, unnatural, unnerving.

Something had gone wrong, but then again, he was trained to know that things never went as planned. It was just a rare fluke that the one change in the plans left him in such a state.

Sure, his opponents never knew that they'd gotten a shot in. He never let them know, and those that did figure it out didn't live to take advantage of it.

Part of him wanted to blame the heat. Or the fact he hadn't slept well the night before due to a midnight raid on their location. But the more he thought it over; it all came down to one simple distraction.

_Kisame._

His crimson eyes searched the area for the blue-skinned man; but he was nowhere in sight.

_A new Mist-Seven. Is it possible they knew of him since he was a former member?_

Wincing, he glared at the injury on his side- the kunai still protruding out from it.

_Then again. It seemed they had some knowledge of my fighting techniques as well._

Yanking out the kunai and throwing it absently atop the dead bodies piled nearby, Itachi attempted to stand, only to realize that perhaps he was a little more exhausted than it first seemed.

"Kisame?" He said quietly, eyes scanning the area once again for his companion.

A rustle of leaves drew his attention, but the cause of it only warranted a kunai in the throat. As the last of the Mist-nin group fell, Itachi straightened his stance and began to walk towards the direction he'd last seen Kisame in.

* * *

Having finished off the last of the nins that he'd lured away from Itachi, Kisame tallied up the bodies and shrugged. 

"My, they sure came prepared when they heard we were in town for business. A new Mist-Seven and this many nins? Oi…Itachi-san, we can go on ahead now. The path's clear."

He waited for the reply coming from where he'd left the Uchiha back in the forest, but there was no response.

"Itachi-san?"

Swinging the samehada over his shoulder, he quickly headed towards where he'd last seen Itachi. Passing countless bodies and waylaid weapons lodged into the trees, Kisame frowned as a blur of red and black caught his eyes.

It was Itachi's cloak all right, but it was torn and bloody- and that didn't sit well with him at all. Reaching down, he cradled the cloak in his arms.

"Itachi-san?" He called once more.

Following the trail of blood with his eyes, he saw his partner resting against a nearby tree. Itachi glanced up as if nothing was out of the ordinary, not the type to even let his closest companion see his weaknesses.

"Did you finish the others off?"

"Itachi-san, what about…"

"Then we need to move on ahead and finish off the target."

The black-haired man stood, making a motion as if to snatch his cloak out of Kisame's arms. But instead of taking back his tattered cloak and putting it on like he'd planned; Itachi fell forward as his mind went momentarily blank.

* * *

Itachi wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but when he registered his surroundings, he found that he was cradled in Kisame's arms. 

"Ah Itachi-san, are you all right?"

His eyes narrowed in thought as he tried to piece together what had happened.

"You must have lost too much blood, Itachi-san. It's not like you to fall like that."

Itachi regarded that comment, thinking back to the fight he'd endured. Yes, he had sustained several minor injures and due to the numerable amounts of Mist-nin that they'd had to fight off; those minor scraps had been bleeding for probably close to thirty minutes. Even he couldn't keep clear-headed with that much blood-loss.

"I suppose I was careless," He replied, once again thinking back to the one thing that had been distracting him throughout the fight.

_Kisame, was that your true intent last night? That kiss, those…feelings?_

His partner smiled his toothy grin as he held the Uchiha closer to his chest.

"Was something distracting you?"

Itachi raised a questioning gaze to meet Kisame's eyes.

_He knows. Or suspects. Or is just trying to drive me insane. Why was I distracted? Was I too preoccupied with the question I didn't answer and the man who asked it?_

"I never answered your question."

Kisame grinned, "I'm afraid you have, Itachi-san."

A momentary glimpse into the youth behind the killer surfaced on Itachi's face, as the shock at Kisame's comment registered. Quickly hiding it with an irritated façade- Itachi posed a question.

"And my answer was?"

"How do you feel right now?" Kisame countered with another question, grin still on his face.

_How do I feel?_

Itachi's eyebrows creased in thought. What did he feel?

There he was, in the middle of the darkening forest, held in his partner's arms. One would think he would be rather irritable after the day he'd had, but when Itachi paused to think about it- his mindset at that moment was quite the contrary.

It was a feeling of contentment- not resentment. A moment of realization- not aggravation. There in the silence, cradled in Kisame's arms, all the answers he'd ever needed his entire life flooded into his mind.

_Perfection. Destruction. Annihilation. Vengeance. Power._

All the things he'd ever sought never brought with them the satisfaction he'd so desired to find. All his life, he'd been searching for an unknown. But now, it looked like that "unknown" had found him.

"We should find a place to stay for the night," He replied, avoiding the question once more.

"Will another single bed suffice, Itachi-san?"

The dark-haired man frowned, knowing that Kisame was enjoying taunting him with the knowledge he now had in his possession.

_But when did I answer him?_

"And to answer your question about when you answered…" Kisame began, pausing a moment at the look on Itachi's face.

_Great, now he's reading my mind._

Itachi's expression adjusted slightly and Kisame had to withhold a laugh at the slight pout he swore was forming.

"… Everyone knows how picky you are about your sleeping arrangements. The Leader's complained about your demands to have specific lodgings lined up for missions on numerous occasions. Itachi-san," He reached down and toyed absently with Itachi's ponytail, "It was a one-person bed we shared."

Furious at having all his walls of cold-heartedness stripped down so easily, Itachi glared viciously at a nearby tree to vent.

"Until those annoyances showed up, that is."

Kisame's grin softened into a smile at that. They both had asked their questions, and now, they both had their answers.

"So single-bed room again, tonight?" He dared ask.

"The Leader won't be pleased that we didn't take care of the target today," Itachi dodged.

"Heh, he can wait one more day," Kisame replied, standing with Itachi still cradled in his arms, "First we need to get you bandaged. Tomorrow, there shouldn't be anymore distractions. Right, Itachi-san?"

Itachi looked up at the blue-skinned man, carrying him easily along with his sword.

"I can walk on my own."

Kisame shook his head, lowering Itachi to his feet and draping his shredded cloak around him.

"Itachi-san, I think you'll need a new cloak soon."

"Is there a reason you're practically uninjured?"

"You fought all of the new Mist-Seven members at once while I just dealt with their pathetic excuse for backup. I guess they didn't think I was a threat compared to you."

Writing it off once more at all the inane distractions of the day, Itachi began to walk forward along the path. There was simply no way he'd be seen cradled in someone's arms like that. Even if…

"Itachi-san, if you really want me to- I don't mind carrying you."

The dark-haired man frowned and glared in Kisame's direction.

"That won't be necessary."

Laughing to himself, Kisame leaned down to give a quick kiss to Itachi's forehead.

"…And that wasn't necessary either," Itachi grumbled.

"Just making sure you haven't changed your answer, Itachi-san."

Snatching up his waylaid straw hat, Itachi pulled it on his head, the bells jingling at the abrupt movement.

"It's getting late."

Kisame smiled, reaching down to pick up his own hat as he left Itachi to his thoughts.

As the two headed towards the nearest town, the black-haired man sorted out all the questions and answers into the simplest of terms.

_To be carried, cradled or otherwise held in another man's arms; isn't a position you want to be seen in, even if you find it enjoyable. And anyone witnessing you sharing a bed with someone should never live to tell. It's foolish to cling to such unnecessary things as emotions. But you- you make it so easy to be a fool like that, Hoshigaki Kisame._

_

* * *

_END


	5. 18: Say Ahhh

**Title:** Love Bites  
**Theme:** #18 / "say ahh..."  
**Word Count:** 350  
**Summary:** Deidara finds art in the strangest places...

-----------------------------

"Now say ahh...un."

"Deidara."

"Hmm?" The artist looked up from where he was observing Itachi's neck, "What is it, Itachi-san?"

"Opening my mouth for this isn't necessary."

"Oh. Well, I thought that's what all doctors did...un."

Itachi sighed and rubbed at his temples. If this hadn't been under the leader's orders he would have never subjected himself to being alone this long with Deidara. Especially when Deidara was assigned his 'doctor' in lieu of the Akatsuki not having an official one.

"What now, a headache...un?" He asked, seeing the dark-haired Uchiha rubbing his forehead.

"Deidara. This isn't serious. I'm only here to humor the Leader's wishes that someone take a look at this bruise."

Leaning closer to the purple and red patch of flesh, Deidara squinted at it. Then, he jumped back with a crazed look on his face.

"What now, Deidara?"

"I believe I have been inspired...un. That coarsely bitten pale flesh gives me visions of the pale evening sky lit up with purples and reds as an explosion takes out an entire group of shinobi...un!"

Itachi blinked, settling his vaguely noticeable shock into his usual frown.

"You're weird. Can I go now?"

"You must, I have to get to work on this new masterpiece right away...un!"

Itachi stood, pulling his cloak up around his neck to hide the unsightly bruise. He knew that the Leader suspected where it had come from, why else would he insist on having something as minor as a bruise be checked over?

_"At least Deidara's too caught up in his new 'artistic' endeavor to think much on it."_ Itachi thought to himself, glad to be off the hook.

"Oh Itachi-san, one more thing...un!"

Turning, he glanced back at the pale-haired man.

"Next time, tell Kisame to keep it to kisses and not bites on your tender flesh- got that?"

Itachi grimaced, muttering a threat under his breath.

"Don't speak of this to anyone or you'll be the one exploding in purples and reds."

Cloak swirling behind him as he left, the older Uchiha rubbed at the mark on his neck.

_"Damned shark teeth..."_

---------------------------


End file.
